“We just have to give a different offering and I think if the offering happens to be more restaurants and more non-retail type well then that’s it.

“It’s better to have people in here providing a retail offering of food and drink than having an empty shop.

“Things do go in cycles and I think the death of the high street is a little bit overplayed. It will come back in a different form. We just have to be flexible enough to make sure we can cater for that form here in Brentwood.”

Brentwood High Street

Another restaurant could be coming...

The councillor’s comments come with news that another store on Brentwood High Street could soon be closing.

Following GAME’s closure on June 30, an application has been put in to change the use of Carpetright, which is situated opposite the Sugar Hut nightclub.

The proposal is to change the use from a shop into a restaurant, drinking establishment and a hot food takeaway.

With shops seemingly closing down throughout the town, the debate rumbles on about how to increase footfall.

For Cllr Kerslake, attracting people to Brentwood may lie in an evening economy being the answer.

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“Our high street, I believe, is better than a lot of other high streets. It’s certainly better than Colchester’s, which astonishes me as a Colchester boy.

“We’ve got to link the daytime economy with the night-time economy – it’s almost like an evening economy that we’ve got to get into.

“With the town centre plan and the development of William Hunter Way coming up in due course the idea is to energise the whole of the town centre – not just the high street. Hopefully that will be to the benefit of all.”

John Kerslake, Hutton Central Councillor and deputy leader of Brentwood Borough Council

The parking issue

One of the reasons often cited by residents as to why town centre footfall may be dropping is the issue of parking in town.

“There’s a lot of rumours going round that we are going to shut car parks,” Cllr Kerslake said.

“If we build on car parks, we will put car parks underneath those new buildings.

“Long term we would like to increase the amount of parking.

“We’re spending a lot of money getting the multi-storey sorted out and there’s a delivery yard at the Baytree Centre that isn’t used as much as it used to be.”

'We could lose our market town'

Despite the drop in footfall, Brentwood is still home to a number of independent shops.

From the perspective of shop owners, they say it would be a shame if the town lost its traditional retail heritage.

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“I would say that we have lost an awful lot of shops in Brentwood,” said Lin Heath, the owner of French Quarter in Crown Street.

Lin Heath outside her store in Crown Street

“I can’t put my finger on why that is, as it’s probably a combination of reasons – the rents, the rates, the parking.

“All I know is it would be very sad to lose what was historically a market town to just having an evening economy.

“The internet plays a huge part of it and it’s not a huge High Street.

Traders in Crown Street

“But we have had a good mix of shops on offset roads like Crown Street. What we need is for independent shops to be supported. I have been here 13 years in this shop and there has been a drastic fall in footfall.

“There’s lots of different reasons but all I can say is it would be very sad.”

Several shops have closed up in Brentwood

'The problem is rent and rates'

Liberal Democrat councillor for Pilgrims Hatch, Councillor David Kendall, explained that he felt Brentwood Borough Council had to keep all of its options open and explore a number of avenues to bring people back into the town.

David Kendall

“I understand what Cllr Kerslake is saying and I think there is still an opportunity to forge a niche retail offering to develop and grow in Brentwood,” he said.

“The big problem is the rent and the rates.

“Unless you are making a lot of money on what you are selling it makes it very difficult to survive.

“This is what a number of smaller shops are noticing.

“If it carries on this way it is just going to be restaurants, estate agents and charity shops.

“It’s a mix of shops, we need to have a better mix of retail on offer, which is attractive to people.

“We need to be asking residents more about what shops they want to see there – is there anything we can do to encourage retailers in Brentwood?”

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Brentwood stories

'We shouldn't give up on the daytime economy'

Councillor Gareth Barrett, leader of the Brentwood Labour Group and representative for the southern half of the High Street, added: "It is clear that the current retail environment is tough, with many large-scale retailers closing stores across the country. Brentwood as a smaller town is undoubtedly facing stiff competition.

Gareth Barrett, leader of Brentwood Labour Group

"That said, giving up on daytime retail and shoppers is a mistake. We still have a good customer base and fantastic local shops that serve their community well - as well as a key anchor in our Marks & Spencer - who showed that they think our High Street has a future when they invested in its expansion.

"Given the closures of national restaurant chains, the long-term decline in the night-time economy and even some coffee chains closing shops, it's surely behind the curve to rely on this sector.

"Frankly - I hear again and again that we already have more than enough of these in town.

"What we could do is target Business Rate discounts for our local and key businesses - rather than give up on our retailers, lets invest in them as a council and community."